Amusement ride



Feb. 17, 1959 N. BARTLETT AMUSEMENT RIDE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct; 29. 1953 mm Q 3 m Y w QN \N wm NM M \N QN R B \m y sw 9m R 9 mn 0N \w MK 6% N\ INVENTOR. NORMAN B RTLETT BY 62m, w,@wl v@ma,

v ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 17, 1959 BARTLETT 2,873,972

' AMUSEMENT RIDE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1953 INVEN NORMANBART 7'T ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 17, 1959 Filegi Oct. 29, 1953 N. BARTLETT AMUSEMENT RIDE 4 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR. B/ORMAN BARTLETT A TTORNEYS.

N. BARTLETT AMUSEMENT RIDE Feb. 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 29, 1953 v {KI/11'' T -21 Q I i r K m 5 M mm m 5 7 M A M I v R O M M l i T.

United States Patent AMUSEMENT RIDE Norman Bartlett, Uleta, Fla., assignor of one-half to Marjorie Bartlett, Uleta, Fla.

7 7 Application October 29, 1953, Serial No. 389,074

3 Claims. c1. use-101.2

This invention relates to amusement rides and particularly to improvements in amusement rides of the roundabout type.

The present invention provides a shooting or target arrangement which, in the illustrated instance, is for use by riders on an amusement ride as they approach certain target figures. While the shooting and target arrangement of the present invention is particularly adaptable to riders of a ride of the roundabout type, the principles thereof may be applied to amusement rides of other forms. Speaking generally, the passenger compartments or passenger supporting devices are provided with pistols or pistol simulating apparatuses which are in reality electrical circuit making devices- The rider aims the pistol orpistol simulating device at a more or less fixed target as the course of his ride approaches such target and, if his pistol is aimed or positioned within certain predetermined limits, operation of the trigger pistol will close a circuit to produce a sound simulating a pistol report and, in con junction therewith or in the alternative, a' target sound such as'the ringing of a hell or the like. Further, in a preferred form the target or targets are opposing figures such as cowboys or Indiansbearing firearms and the electr'icalg'circuit arrangement is such that when the rider scores a hit, by positioning the pistol properly and pressing the trigger, the target figures fire back by producing an electric flash or other visual signal and a pistol simulating sound at the target. .The present invention further provides a ride of the roundabout type wherein the passenger compartments or passenger supporting figures or the like are disposed at the Outer ends of a plurality of radiating arms, which arms are adapted to raise and lower as they rotate about a fixed vertical axis. I A novel drive arrangement is provided whereby alternate arms in the circular series move upwardly. as the intervening alternate arms move downwardly, so that one passenger or rider is moving upwardly as. the passengers or riders immediately in front of and behind him are moving downwardly. The drive arrangement is further such that one rider or passenger reaches the high poinbin his vertical oscillation at the same time that the passengers in front of and behind him reach the lowest point in theirgvertical reciprocations, and vice versa. j

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general elevational view of one form of the ride of the present'invention with portions thereof shown in cross-section for added clea'rness; a

:Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the central drive portion of the ride shown in Fig. 1;

Fig; 3 is a fragmentary elevational view on a larger scale taken approximately on the line IIl-III of Fig. 2;

Fig.4 is an elevatoinal view, partially broken away, showin' gone f orm of a pistol device used in the form of thepreSent 'invention set forth herein by way of example; and

mounting and supported by the shaft 10, the stationary mast 11 comprising-a central vertical tent pole for supporting the central portion of a circular canopy member 12 as shown in Fig. 1. Shaft has rotatable bearing I at its lower end in a bearing member 14 which is included in a structural framework which is designated'generally by the numeral 15 in Fig. l and includes any desired form of means for tying the framework to the ground or other surface where the ride of the present invention is to be used.

In the present instance the ride is of the carrousel or merry-go-round type and is shown to include a circular series of animal simulating figures designated 20. In the present instance there are twelve animal figures 20, each of which is supported at the outer end of an arm 21 with the several arms 21'radiating centrally from the axis of shaft 10. The arms 21 are pivotally supported at their inner ends for swinging movement to raise and lower the animal figures as they pursue a circular course about mast 10. v 1

Each arm 21 is alternately raised and lowered during operation of the ride and it is desired that each arm be raised and. lowered in an opposite phase to that of the immediately forward and immediately rearward adjacent arm. Thus in the present instance six alternately disposed arms will be reaching their highest point in the raising movement at the vsame instant that the intervening six arms are reaching their lowest point. Novel means are provided for effecting this desired relationship of the raising and lowering movements of the various arms 21, as will be hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. 2' and 3, and particularly the latter, a

, pair of circular drum members 25 and 26 are fixed one sprocket connection with the input shaft of a speed re-.

ducer 36 whose output shaft in the present instance extends vertically and is designated 38. Pinion 32 is fixed to the upper end of shaft 38 and the latter further has secured thereto a sprocket member which is part of a chain and sprocket drive designated 40 in l-" ig. 1, the

companion sprocket being fixed to the lower portion of mast 10.

From the foregoing it will be seen that, with the output shaft 38 of the speed reducer rotating in-a given direction, shaft 10 will be rotated in the same direction because of the chain and sprocket connection 40, while sleeve 27 will be rotated inan opposite direction because of the pinion and gear connection 32, 31. Thus the relative rotation as between mast 10 and sleeve 27 which carries the drum members 25 and 26 will be the sum of their separate rotations in opposite directions.

Referring to Fig. 3, a radiating support arm 21 is pivoted to a lug 48 on drum member 25 as at 49 and another of the radiating arms 21 is pivoted to a lug 50 on drum member '26 as at 51. Thus six alternately oc-' curring radiating arms 21 are pivoted at their inner ends to drum member 25 and the six intervening radiat- 3 ing arms 21 are similarly pivoted to drum member 26. From this it will be seen that each of the radiating arms 21 is adapted to be rotated by and upon rotation of sleeve 27 and the arms 21 are each further mounted for raising and lowering movements about their several pivotal connections 49 and 51.

Each of the arms 21 is provided with an upper brace member and an inner strut member 61 whereby the several arms 21 together with their braces 60 and strut members 61 each form a rigid truss or A-frame, this construction being provided for rigidity and also to facilitate imparting raising and lowering movements to the several arms 21 as will now appear.

Having reference now to Figs. 2 and}, a pair of circular eccentric block members 65 and 66 are fixed one above the other to the rotatable shaft 10 for rotation therewith. An eccentric strap or sheave 68 has antifr'iction rotatable engagement about eccentric 65 and a second eccentric strap or sheave 69 likewise has antifriction rotatable engagement about eccentric 66. Becentric strap 68 is provided with six equally spaced radiating lugs 70 each of which has pivotal connection with the inner end of a link 71 as at 72.

Each link 71 is pivotally connected as at 74 in Fig. 1 with a strut member '61 of one of the radiating arm members 21 of the group of arm members which are pivotally attached to drum'memberZ'S. Similarly, eccentric strap 69 is provided with'six radiating lugs 75 each of which has pivotal engagement with the inner end of a link 76 as at'77, the outer end of each link 76 being connected to one of the strut members 61 of the group of arms 21 which have pivotal connection with the lower drum member 26.

In the position shown in Fig. 2 the upper eccentric 65 has its highest point or top dead-center point directly to the right of the axis of "shaft 10 as viewed in Fig. '2, while the lower eccentric '66 has its lowest .point or bottom dead-center point located at or directed toward the arm 21 which is displaced 30 degrees from the top dead-center point 'of eccentric 65 in a counterclockwise direction, this 30 degree displacement being equal to the annular spacingof the'several radiating arms 21. Thus when a given arm 21 has reached its bottom extreme position during the operation of its associated eccentric lifting and lowering mechanism the arm directly behind will have reached its highest "point of lift through operation of its related "eccentric lifting and lowering mechanism. This eccentric arrangement imparts a maximum appearance of lifting and lowering movement of the passenger supporting devices with a given actual amplitude of movement.

Reference will now be had to the shooting and target portions of the ride of the present invention and in that connection reference will be had particularly to Figs. 1, 4 and 5. Referring to Fig. l, a pair of target panels 78 and 79 are fixed to central mast 11 and radiate outwardly therefrom in opposite directions. The rotation of the ride being clockwise as viewed in plan, the riders approach the face of target 78 which is shown in Fig. 1

and-subsequently approach'the rear face of target 79 as there viewed, that being the front face as far as the riders are concerned.

1n the present instance each of the target panels 78 and 79 has a pair of "target'figurcs 80 and 81 associated therewith as by'being painted thereon or otherwise. Each of the animal figures '20 is provided with a holster or the like (not shown which contains a pistol or similar firearm-simulating device which is connected to the animal figure-20 only by a flexible electrical cord Which serves a purpose which will'pr esently appear.

Speaking generally, thet arget and electrical arrange ment is such that a'rider in firing the pistol, closes an electrical circuit to the tar-get if the rider is Within a predetermined range and if the pistol is aimed within certain limits. This circuit closure results in a simulated pistol report or any other sounding or signaling device such as the ringing of a bell at the target, the illumination of the target, or other arresting or interest-stimulating indication that a hit has been scored. The scoring of a hit preferably energizes a plurality of the above signals such as the simultaneous sounding and illumination of the target signals.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, the firearm or pistol itself is there shown as comprising a pistol simulating device 84. The pistol simulating device 84 has a pair of electrical conductors 85 and 86 extending thereto and a microswitch 87 and a mercury switch '88 are in series with the conductors 85 and 86. A trigger member 90 is adapted to close the normally open micro-switch '87 and trigger member 90 may also incidentally operate a hammer simulating member 91.

In the position shown in Fig. 4 mercury. switch 88 establishes an open circuit condition of conductors 85 and 86 within pistol 84 but it will be noted from the inclination of mercury switch 88 and the location of its contacts 92 and 93 that when the device 84 is inclined to approximately the position indicated by the dot-and-dash lines at the left-hand side of :Fig. 4, the mercury therein will bridge contacts 92 and 93 and close switch 88 so that a subsequent operation of trigger member :90 will establish a complete circuit through the pistol simulating device 84.

The manner in which this circuit .closure cooperates with the general shooting and target wiring arrangement will be understood from a .description of the schematic wiring diagram, Fig. 5, and reference will now be had thereto. Referring briefly toFig. 3, a commutator drum 95 is fixed to plate '30 and is thus fixed for rotation with the radiating arms 21 which support the passenger carrying devices '20. commutator drum 95 carries upper and lower annular contact rings 96 and 97 and Fig. 3 shows a pair of typical brushes 98 and 99 for contacting engagement with the contact rings 96 and 97, respectively.

In Fig. 5 the contact rings 96 and 97 of commutator drum 95 are shown separately for clearness of understanding. As shown in Fig. 5 the upp r commutator contact ring 96 is continuous and comprises a current feed ring while the lower contact ring 97 comprises a series of commutator plates, one for each of the arms 21. The contact plate of each arm '21 is centered therewith as 'indicated at the upper part of the diagrammatic showing of commutator ring 97 and the conductor 86 from each of the pistol simulating devices 84 leads to its associated commutator .plates'97. The conductors 85 of all of the several pistols 84 lead to the commutator feed ring 96.

The targets 78 and 79 with their target figures -80 and 81 are indicated schematically at the bottom of Fig. 5 and the wiring diagram merely shows an electrical conductor leading to each of the four target figures 80 and 81 and a common return conductor. The number and type of sounding or signaling devices which may be associated with each of the figures 80 and 81 of the targets'78 and 79 may vary considerably and may include various types of sounding and illuminating devices to indicate a target hit. For a full understan'din'g of the present invention it is merely necessary, as shown in Fig. '5, to indicate electrical conductors leading to each of "the four target figures to close the circuits of whatever sounding or illuminating signaling devices may be associated therewith.

A transformer 100 has its primary winding'connected with any suitable current source, as. for instance ltheicnrrent source which supplies the electric driving motor 35, and the secondary winding of transformer 100 has a pair of-output conductors 101 and.102. Conductor 101 leads to brushes 98 which continuously engage current feed ring 96 of the commutator unit while conductor .102 leads to one side of the electrical device .or devices .associated with each of the "target 'figures.

Commutator ring 97 is provided with two pairs of brushes 99, the left-hand brushes as viewed in Fig. being for cooperation with the figures 80 and 81 of target 78 and the right-hand pair of brushes 99 being for cooperation with the figures of target 79.

Since there are two brushes 99 for each target hearing against the commutator ring 97, they establish an approximate sixty degree zone of contact for each plate 97 of the commutator ring as the passenger supporting device 20 approaches the particular target, such contact being successively with each of the figures of such target. The brushes 99 at the left-hand side of commutator ring 97 extend by way of conductors 105 and 106, to the figures 80 and 81 of the target 78 and the brushes 99 at the right-hand side of commutator ring 97 extend by way of conductors 107 and 108 to the figures 80 and 81 of the target 79.

From the foregoing it will be seen that if the two switches within a gun device 84 are simultaneously closed by operation of the trigger 90 and closure of the positional mercury switch 88, and if at the same time the commutator plate 97 of that particular gun is in contact with one of the brushes 99, a circuit to the particular target figure 80 or 81 is established momentarily. For instance, target figure 80 of target 78 would be energized as follows: From the transformer secondary by way of conductor 101, through brushes 98 and solid commutator ring 96, through a conductor 85 to the particular gun device 84, through the two switches 87 and 88 of the gun device, thence by way of conductor 86 to a particular commutator plate 97, through a brush 99 and conductor 105 to the electrical sounding and illuminating devices of target figure 80 and thence by way of conductor 102 back to the other side of the secondary winding of transformer 100.

What is claimed is:

1. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type including a circular succession of rotatable rider supports, a target figure positioned to be approached by successive riders, electrical signal means at said target figure, a firearm simulating device at each rider support, said firearm device including a trigger operated switch and a normally open switch adapted to be closed by placing the device in aiming position, a circuit connecting said switches in series with the target signal, and brush contact switch means in said circuit and adapted to intermittently close upon rotation of said rider supports through a predetermined arcuate zone of approach to said target, whereby operation of the firearm trigger switch in said zone with the firearm device in aiming position completes the target signal circuit.

2. In an amusement ride including a succession of rider supports, a target figure positioned to be approached by successive riders, electrical signal means at said target figure, a firearm simulating device at each rider support, said firearm device including a trigger operated switch and a normally open switch adapted to be closed by placing the device in aiming position, a circuit connecting said switches in series with the target signal, and brush contact switch means in said circuit and adapted to intermittently close upon rotation of said rider supports through a predetermined arcuate zone of approach to said target, whereby operation of the firearm trigger switch in said zone with the firearm device in aiming position completes the target signal circuit.

3. In an amusement ride including a succession of rider supports, a target figure positioned to be approached by successive riders, electrical signal means at said target figure, a firearm simulating device at each rider support, said firearm device including a normally open manually clos-able switch and a normally open switch adapted to be closed by placing the device in aiming position, a circuit connecting said switches in series with the target signal, and brush contact switch means in said circuit and adapted to intermittently close upon rotation of said rider supports through a predetermined arcuate zone of approach to said target, whereby operation of the manual firearm switch in said zone with the firearm in aiming position completes the target signal circuit.

Dale June 8, 1954 

